Year C

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

The Very Rev. Denise Vaughn

Love Was Born At Christmas

“For a child has been born for us…” Love came down and was born at Christmas. The time of watching and longing in Advent is finally ended. God has burst into our lives once again tonight as a baby in a manger, bringing light and salvation. “For in Jesus all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” And Mary treasured all these things in her heart; the birth, the choirs of angels that sung their Glorias; the shepherds that have come and gone. And even the quiet munching of the stable animals, all that is left of that strange glory. And Mary treasured all these things in her heart. What do you keep treasured in your heart? Every year, I have treasured recalling the events of this wondrous night, full of love and glory. 

The readings shout out that the Christmas story is a story of love and is the key to what should be treasured in our hearts. We love the Christmas story. We love the idea of shepherds arriving with their flocks in tow and angels praising God and proclaiming good news of great joy for all. It was a glorious night for Mary & Joseph who were in many ways just like you and me trying to make their way in the world, squeezed by rising taxes and family demands, weary from a variety of struggles. If they were afraid or having doubts, maybe it’s all right that we too struggle. 

For into our struggle and despair, Isaiah’s words tonight shine a light that illuminates the central claim of his good news: rescue is coming. To those who sit in darkness, or fear, or failure, or want: rescue is coming! “For a child has been born for us.” Rescue has come in the shape and form of a child, Emmanuel-the God who is with us. This is the good news that Isaiah, Paul and Luke proclaim and we proclaim, and if tonight doesn’t strike us as rather shocking then maybe we have not heard the message for what it is. God gave God’s self for us. The creator of the universe became for our sakes lowly and helpless, born in a manger.

God put God’s self at our mercy to show us true love and to show us that even in the worst of times, and in the most unimaginable conditions, God is still present. “For the grace of God has appeared,” Paul tells Titus, “bringing salvation to all…” That is the good news we declare to the world tonight, that in Jesus Christ we encounter this grace in person. God choose in Jesus to make a home with us and be with us. According to Paul, God did this in order to “purify for God’s self a people of God’s own who are zealous for good deeds” so that God might save us to live godly and upright lives.

The God of creation to form us into people who live godly lives became for our sakes lowly and helpless, at our mercy, to take away our sins, and offer us a glorious future. This is the message and mission of the entire gospel of Jesus Christ and this is the message we proclaim as his followers. What a revolutionary message and certainly not an easy mission for anyone to follow. Yet, Luke’s whole theme in his story of Christ’s birth is that the world has changed. Jesus is here. Born in humble surroundings to Mary and Joseph to bring in this reign and so salvation has come. A new time has entered the world and this new time is characterized not by the drudgery of business as usual or the threat of imperial power, but by the in-breaking of the heavenly realm, the song of angels, and the “good news of great joy for all the people.”

A reign announced to lowly shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night, who are so amazed by what they see, they “made known what had been told them about this child.” A new reign that clearly says Jesus is born to us and for us. God reached down into our world and offered us hope. Providing a light to guide us to safety, so we would not be tossed every which way with no hope of being saved.

In this reaching down into our lives, God calls us to a way of life that will bring fulfillment, but we still have to make the choice as to whether we will follow it and make it a part of our present circumstances. God has attempted to capture our attention by providing a guiding light but we still have to find room in our lives for Jesus to fit in. By sending us the baby Jesus, God did more than simply make a home with us; God placed a claim upon us.

A response is always demanded from a fragile, delicate, vulnerable child. This tiny, helpless child is reaching up to us in love and for our love. So tonight, Luke would have us treasure these moments in our hearts as we linger a little in this story of divine love to feel the terror of the shepherds, the joy of the angels, the wonder of the villagers and the example of Mary, as she treasured what had happened. As we do this we just might capture the wonder of that very first Christmas and find ourselves hurrying like the shepherds, to share the good news that we have seen and heard, proclaiming by the angel “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. Born to love and guide us back to God. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus.